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This Week in the World of Cars: Sept 30 – Oct 5

This week’s top stories picked by our editors feature debut news about the Toyota Supra, the promise of a Bugatti SUV, and a new Niro spokesperson.

Mark your calendars, folks: The Toyota Supra is finally (!) shedding its camo to make its debut at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. Toyota debuted the racing concept of the Supra at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. Since then, several publications have mentioned seeing (or driving) the Supra while it’s still covered in camo. It doesn’t feel bizarre for a nearly one-year lapse between the reveal of a concept car to one that is ready for market — however, the constant hype of the covered car does have us wondering: Will the hype continue after the Supra hits dealership lots?

We admit it: We love our coffee. But it can be a hassle to pull off a freeway to make a Starbucks or Dunkin’ run. Gas Buddy, an app for finding the best deal at the pump, analyzed feedback from users from 150,000 stores across the country and found that 75 percent of them found the coffee at gas stations enjoyable. Some favorites that topped the list include Quiktrip – a top choice across seven states – and Cumberland Farms, which was the number one choice in six states.

The Paris Motor Show is happening across the pond this week – and one of the quirkier reveals includes Kia’s newest spokesperson for the Niro EV: Robert De Niro. Of course, De Niro isn’t the first actor to strike a deal with a car manufacturer. This is a move, much like Kia’s debut of the Telluride at New York Fashion Week, that feels perfect for social media, as the Niro/De Niro memes practically write themselves. But can the partnership go beyond a cute play on words? Only time will tell.

SUV shoppers may soon be able to look at an option from… Bugatti — complete with a hybrid engine. It’s the latest supercar company to set its sights on the crossover market; Ferrari announced last year that shoppers can expect a crossover for 2021. Some enthusiasts have decried the blasphemy of this decision, while others have pointed at the sound business decision, as SUVs and crossovers continue to dominate the market. Anyone else curious what a multimillion-dollar SUV from Bugatti would look like?

Here’s a first in car safety testing: Consumer Reports just put together its first ranked list of semi-automated driver assistance systems. Consumer Reports looked at four systems available to shoppers right now: Tesla’s Autopilot, GM’s Super Cruise, Volvo’s Pilot Assist, and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist. At the top of the list was GM’s Super Cruise — in part because it alerts drivers when it is safe to use the semi-autonomous system — and when it isn’t.